Warmth
by marnimg
Summary: Royai Week prompt challenge: Day 1; Warmth. "And lastly; what can you feel?" "Warmth." Roy says finally. "The warmth from you. Your arms around me and your skin against mine." "How are you feeling now?" "Blind." "Roy." "Sorry."


**_A/N: I was scrolling through the Royai tag on Tumblr for some prompts and inspiration, and found a series of prompts from this year's 'Royai Week'. I will put the link to the original post if I can find it, but here is the first day's prompt of 'Warmth'. I aim to do the others just as a fun exercise for myself, so enjoy!_**

Black.

Roy knows his eyes are open but all he can see is black. He can feel his heart rate increasing as he tries to desperately open and close his eyes. Still nothing. Roy flails his arms and hits something warm and soft which shifts upon impact.

"Mm?" A familiar voice jolts Roy from his rising anxiety. "Roy? Are you okay?"

"I can't … I …" Roy's voice is strained. "Riza, I can't see." He manages eventually, feeling unnecessarily ashamed.

"Oh Roy," Roy feels the space beside him shift as Riza shuffles closer to him in the bed. In only seconds, Riza has taken him completely into her arms. "Focus on my voice, okay?"

Riza feel her heart tug as she sees Roy looking wildly around the room and yet not seeing anything. This happens every now and again; even with the restoration of his sight with the Philosopher's Stone, temporary blindness still has the tendency to strike.

The Lieutenant cradles her Colonel.

She smooths his dark hair, rumpled from sleep as she holds his head to her chest.

"Just focus on me," Riza says gently. "Close your eyes. We're going to try something."

"Riza, now really isn't the –"

"Shut up," she scolds lightly. "We're going to try a sensory activity."

Roy frowns but closes his eyes anyway. "Alright."

Riza sits up and helps him to sit, too, moving herself so she's sat in front of him, both of them cross legged. Roy's head hangs. She pulls him against her again and Roy presses his forehead into her neck. With her arms wrapped around him, she kisses his shoulder.

"Okay," Riza begins in a soothing voice. "Now tell me; what can you hear?"

"Your voice," Roy replies uncertainly. "I don't see how this is going to help –"

"Humour me." Riza encourages. "Explain to me what you can hear."

Roy sighs and his loyal lieutenant feels his breath tickling her neck a little. "I can hear your heart beating. Only a little, but I can hear it."

"That's good," Riza's voice vibrates in her throat against Roy's face. "Now; what can you smell?"

"You," Roy is beginning to feel calmer and relaxes more into her embrace, the activity working slightly. "You smell like sleep, and it's nice. You still smell like you; clean and female. But when we wake up and I hold you first thing in the morning, you smell like this and it's what I associate with the feeling of home."

" _Roy_." Riza pulls back and cradles his face in her hands. His eyes are closed but he's not frowning anymore. She kisses him gently on the lips and he gives a sigh of contentment.

Riza laughs breathily. "And lastly; what can you feel?"

"Warmth." Roy says finally. "The warmth from you. Your arms around me and your skin against mine."

"How are you feeling now?"

"Blind."

" _Roy_."

"Sorry. Calmer. Thank you."

The two of them move together in a muscle memory unison. They lie next to each other, Roy resting his head on Riza's chest, listening to her rhythmic heartbeat and the sound of her breathing. The two of them are silent, Riza running her fingers through Roy's hair, waiting patiently for his sight to return.  
Sometimes it takes minutes. Other times, it's hours. No matter how long it takes, Riza never leaves Roy's side for a second, constantly touching him to reassure him of her constant presence.

Riza shifts and changes their position so they're both lying on their sides facing each other, chest to chest, nose to nose.

"You okay?" She asks gently, tucking hair behind his ears and draping an arm over his waist.

Roy sighs heavily. "Yeah." Roy runs a hand over her hip.

"It won't be long now." She assures him, knowing that the longer his temporary blindness lasts for, the more he begins to panic about it being more than just temporary.

After a while, Roy opens his eyes. The blackness isn't quite as solid and impenetrable anymore; it's a softer tone, slowly turning greyscale. Roy squeezes his eyes shut and opens them again.

"Roy?" Riza prompts.

Her silhouette is beginning to appear.

"It's coming back," Roy says in clear relief.

Riza tries to hide her release of equal relief.

Slowly, Roy begins to see in colour again, being able to put an image to the warmth encircling him. Riza's amber eyes are soft and pleased as they come into focus, out of the colourful blur. Next is her ruffled flaxen hair. Bit by bit, Roy drinks in Riza's form, increasingly thankful he gets to look at her.

"Better?" Riza prompts.

"Better." Roy concedes, finally smiling.


End file.
